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Chanukah 5770
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Chanukah 5770
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Yom Kippur Sermon 5770
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Light a Candle for Truth
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Healthy in Body and Soul
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Healthy in Body and Soul
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A Moving Letter from Israel
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A moving letter from one of the soldiers who came to Australia for the Ach L Ach initiative.
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Give Him a Hearing
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Our Sages tell us that the Temple was destroyed because of the baseless hatred of one Jew towards another - Sinat Chinam. Hence, it will be rebuilt through Ahavat Chinam - when Jews strive to find the deep good even in those Jews with whom they bitterly disagree. One way of doing this is through giving our opponents a hearing. By this is meant carefully listening to what they have to say - rather than jumping to conclusions (based on own subjective opinions) about what we think that they are saying.
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We Did It
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When my good friend and colleague, Rabbi Yacov Barber, of Melbourne’s South Caulfield Synagogue asked me if I would partner with him in bringing ten injured Israeli soldiers to Australia, my immediate response was “yes”.
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The Ambassador & the Rebbe
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A meeting of Ambassador Yehuda Avner & the Lubavitcher Rebbe
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Sinners of the World - Unite!
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In this week’s parasha we read of the special mitzvah that Kohanim have to bless the people.
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The Past is Always with Us
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We don't live merely in the present. Life is not only about now and the future.
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The "How" and "What" of Prayer
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What it is, and how it should be said. I will summarize it here.
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Bushfires Reveal Life's True Values
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We mourn Australia's greatest natural disaster.
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Greg Sher - A Proud Australian and a Proud Jew
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At a time when young Israeli soldiers have lost their lives fighting on one front of the global war against terror, a young Australian Jew has lost his on another
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Shine a Light on Evil!
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The Zohar says that the first step in removing "darkness" is to call it by its name. Once a strong and bright light is shone upon evil it loses its potency.
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Light versus Darkness
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A Jewish response to the Siege of Mumbai
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What the Pope Should Do
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I couldn't help noticing that a local Jewish delegation is to meet the Pope during his visit to Sydney
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THE Giant of Australian Jewry
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4 Tammuz 5768 saw the passing of THE Giant of Australian Jewry, Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner OBM
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We Make Mentschen
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A Tribute to Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner OBM
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Master or Monster?
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That's the screaming headline at the front of this week's Wentworth Courier, referring of course to internationally famous Australian photographer, Bill Henson.
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The Anzac Israel Connection
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On the Last Day of Pesach I spoke of the deep connection that exists between our "lucky country" of residence, Australia, and our country of origin and ultimate destiny, Israel.
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Tough Decisions
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Tough Decisions
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Remember those Less Fortunate
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Remember those Less Fortunate
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Time for Some Good News
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Time for Some Good News
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Purim Q & A
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Purim Q & A
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Two Halves of a Whole
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Two Halves of a Whole
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The True Meaning of Sorry
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The True Meaning of Sorry
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Great Innovations @ South Head
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Great Innovations @ South Head
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Chanukah & the Fast of Tevet
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Education begins at home.
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Chanukah: From Adam to Moshiach
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The dreidel has evolved from the humble clay or wood version that many of us hand-crafted as children, to the "hi-tech" multi-media version, replete with lights and musical accompaniment, that can be now be found on shop shelves and in many homes. Move aside plasma screens, the dreidel is the way to go.
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The Battle Within
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In Jewish thought Jacob and Esau are compared to the Yetzer Tov and the Yetzer Hara (the good inclination and the evil inclination) that reside simultaneously within the bosom of each of us.
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Israel - Living In or Living Out
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Fascinating really. Israel is deeply embedded in the consciousness of our people.
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Fantastic Start to JLI Course
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Our Jewish Learning Institute course, The Land and the Spirit, got off to a fantastic start in its first week with 64 people attending over the two sessions.
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A Battle of Two Souls
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The parasha commences with Rebecca's difficult pregnancy.We are told that she was so overwhelmed with the pain, that she even considered terminating it! This from a woman who had been barren for twenty years! It just doesn't make sense.
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The Jewish Response to Death
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When Sarah dies, Abraham does what any devoted husband would do - but more so. Not only does he bury her with the honour that was her due; he uses her passing to acquire the first Jewish property in Israel, the country that is called the Land of Life (Eretz HaChaim).
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Be a Child at Heart
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A child is full of boundless energy, always seeking to discover something new and never content to just sit around.
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Do You Care about Israel?
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Do you care about Israel? Of course you do. That you are reading this, and in all likelihood, reacted strongly to the suggestion that you may not care, is the clearest indication that you care deeply about Israel.
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The Tree of the Field
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In this week's parasha we are told that "Man is like the Tree of the Field" and on this basis the Talmud and commentaries expound upon the many similarities that exist in both Tree and Man.
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The Need to Celebrate Together
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In just a few short weeks we will be celebrating the High Holy Days. We are confident that you, our generous and warm-hearted community, will again assist the less fortunate in our community to celebrate Yom Tov in a befitting manner.
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Watch Your Manners!
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In this morning's Sydney Morning Herald there is an interesting piece on the role of schools in teaching manners and values to children. There are those who strongly feel that the school is there to teach academics whereas values and behaviour are the province of parents alone, whereas others are equally strong in the belief that value-education too is part of the school's brief.
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Feeling G-d's Pain
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The "three weeks" of mourning the destruction - traditionally called the "three of punishment" (tlasa d'paranusa) - have concluded. This week we commence reading the first of the seven haftorot of Consolation (sheva d'nechemta).
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The Shabbat of Vision
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This Shabbat is Shabbat Chazon, literally The Shabbat of Vision.
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Mind Your Own Business!
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"Ma Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov" - "How Goodly are Your Tents, O Jacob" - is a verse that is familiar to many of us. Appearing in the parasha of Balak, it is one of Bilaam's blessings to the Jewish People. But what does it mean?
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The Torah's Uncommon Sense
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In law courts around the world, confessing to a crime is considered absolute and irrefutable proof of guilt. Under most circumstances prosecutors will accept a plea of guilt to a lesser crime than go to trial in an attempt to secure a conviction on a more serious offence.
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Can the Dead be Alive?
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This past week we commemorated Gimmel Tammuz, the thirteenth Yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
For Lubavitcher Chassidim, and for many others as well, the Rebbe is still very much alive - not only in Gan Eden (Paradise) but here on earth as well.
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Gimmel Tammuz
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Gimmel Tammuz
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Does G-d Really Care?
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Throughout the ages, religious philosophers have been confounded with the question:Why would G-d, Creator of a universe comprising a billion galaxies inhabited by a billion stars each, be concerned with us puny human beings, much less with the minutiae of our daily lives?
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When "Gay" isn't that Happy
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I think that many readers would be as shocked as I was to read that the Reform movement in Australia has decided to "bless" same-sex partnerships
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Celebrating Jewish Peoplehood
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In a few days we will celebrate the Festival of Shavuot, which ostensibly commemorates the Giving of the Torah. But is that all that happened? In truth something of far greater import occurred at Sinai.
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Should We Pray for Rain?
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The Prime Minister recently announced that the farmers of the Murray-Darling Basin - one of the nation's most important agricultural regions - faced having no water for the coming irrigation year unless heavy rain fell in the next six to eight weeks. He went on to say: "It's very serious, it's unprecedented in my lifetime and I really feel very deeply for the people affected. So we should all, literally and without any irony, pray for rain over the next six to eight weeks."
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It's Not What you Know
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It's not what you know; it's the diligence with which you apply it. And it turns out that getting markedly better results has little to do with greater intelligence, more talent or better tools. Applying greater diligence to what we do, paying more attention to detail, is what makes the real difference.
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Israel's Sixtieth Birthday
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On Monday April 23 we commemorate the State of Israel's 59th birthday, the beginning of her sixtieth year. The Talmud tells us that a person's sixtieth year is very significant. If one get's through one's sixtieth year, it's a potent sign that one has faced down the existential threats to one's life and can look forward to a future of joy and happiness.
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The Past is with us Always
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We don't merely live in the present. Life is not only about now and the future. The past is very much alive not only because of its contribution to the present but because it really still exists.
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The True Meaning of Freedom
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Together with our family, and all the team at South Head, we would like to take this opportunity of wishing you a Happy and Kosher Pesach. May it truly be a Festival of Freedom - a release from the worry and anxiety that so often plagues our lives.
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Pesach Resources
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With just over a week until Pesach, it's time to brush up on what we need to know and do for this most complex - but enjoyable! - of festivals.
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A Joyous Reunion
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I would like to share with you something truly beautiful that the Rebbetzen and I (and others in the Jewish community) experienced this week.
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Thank Yous & Photos
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Wow, we have had an exciting couple of weeks at South Head, so now it's time to express gratitude to those who contributed to our hugely successful events.
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Fancy Dress
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On the surface, the Megillah is the tale of the palace intrigues of the Royal Harem of Persia some 2,500 years ago. A quaint story of power and sex with anti-Semitism mixed in to boot.
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A Joyful Heart
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"When Adar enters, we increase in joy; when Av enters, we decrease in joy."
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Song of Defiance
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It is hard for us, living in this wonderful country, to even begint o understand the suffering of ouir people the not too distant past.
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What Did the Torah Achieve?
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Approximately six hundred people attended the Shloshim Service for our Bobbe, Rebbetzen Maryasha Garelik, on Monday night.
who passed away in New York at the age of 106 last month.
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Memorial Service
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Memorial Service February 5 / Shevat 17 South Head Synagogue, Sydney, Australia. Celebration of the life of a woman who lived an inspirational life of total sacrifice for, and commitment to, Judaism under the most adverse circumstances,
prevailing against the Czars, the Communists and the Nazis.
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Sadness: The Passing of a Great Woman
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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of the Rebbetzen’s grandmother, Bobbe Maryasha, on Wednesday evening, 21 Teves, in New York.
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A Chanukah Present for You!
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Chanukah, as it's name implies, is a time of dedication and education. So what better time than now to dedicate a really terrific educational and enjoyable website.
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Light Your own Candle!
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Every Jew has untold potential. His body is the wax and his soul is the wick, but it requires our holy Torah and the Mitzvot to truly light us up.
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Today is the Day!
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Today is the Day! .. A strange paradox indeed.
In spite of our unique bond with our Land - an undying love that has survived 2,000 years of separation - it was Exile that was host to many of our greatest achievements.
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Participation at a Bris
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As I am sure everyone is aware, participation at a Bris Milah is considered a great Mitzvah.
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The Joys of Zeidahood
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People are constantly asking me, "How does it feel to be a Zeida, Saba, Grandpa..." And I must honestly answer, "Not a thing". But that is only until I see my little grandchild. Then, something else takes over. An inexplicable sensation that fills me to the very core of my being as I melt away in the overwhelming pleasure of just looking at him. And that feeling of elation does linger.
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Evolution vs. Einstein
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Last week’s TIME magazine featured a fascinating debate between the well-known atheist biologist Richard Dawkins and the famous mastermind of the human genome project Francis Collins, entitled "Science versus G-d". In shule last Friday night, I summarized the debate while adding a few insights of my own.
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Reach for the Stars!
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As a people our contribution to the world has far outweighed our numbers. In the fields of religion, medicine, science and finance - we have been major players throughout our history.
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Belief in G-d = Respect of Man
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All religious leaders, must be fully cognizant of the truth stated at the beginning of the Torah - "Let us make man in our image". Put simply this means recognition of the formula: "Belief in G-d = Respect of Man".
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Return to the Real World
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This Sunday marks the Seventh of Cheshvan. In the times of our Holy Temple, when pilgrims would return from Jerusalem after the holiday period, the Seventh of Cheshvan represented the day that those who lived furthest from Jerusalem would reach their homes.
In a symbolic kind of way, today too, the Seventh of Cheshvan represents a return to the "Real World" after the euphoria of the High Holiday period and the Festival of Succot which follows it.
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The Great Lights
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I am currently in Melbourne participating in a Conference of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia which was addressed this morning by Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, Sir Jonathan Sacks.
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Confidence, Joy and Positive Action
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Throughout this High Holy Day period my message to you has been one of confidence, happiness and positive action.
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Easy but Meaningful
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As we approach Yom Kippur I wish you an easy fast but a meaningful day. Indeed, to a large extent, one is dependent on the other.
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A Rosh Hashana Gift
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Together with your seat cards this year, you will be receiving, as a special Rosh HaShana gift from the Rebbetzen and myself, some very special bookmarks
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Welcome to our New Website
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Hello and welcome to our new-look South Head News and website. There are many new and useful features on our website which we hope that you will find useful and enjoy
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Yom Tov Appeal
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As we approach Yom Tov we pray to G-d for a bountiful year. At the same time we look to our own community to ensure we help those families who would otherwise not be able to enjoy Yom Tov in the way most of us take for granted. Each year at this time I ask you to contribute to our Simchat Yom Tov fund and each year you surpass my expectations. I trust that, as always, I can count on you for the generosity and warmheartedness that has become a hallmark of our Kehilla.
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Prayers for Current Situation Elul 5766
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In view of the unstable state of the entire world at this time, I urge everyone to recite the following prayers, which according to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendl Schneerson, of blessed memory, have the ability to steady a shaky world.
At the beginning of the day, the following should be recited:
Behold I accept upon myself the positive commandment, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself."
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Appointment of Youth Director
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Shabbat Re'eh 25 Av / Aug 19
It gives me great pleasure to wish Mazal Tov to our President and Youth Chairman, Mr Malcolm Kofsky, and to the Board of Management, on the appointment of our new full-time Director of Youth Activities, Shmuli Kraus, who will be ably assisted by his wife Dinah.
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The Assymetric War
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Much has been made of the asymmetric nature of Israel's war against the terrorist Nasrallah and his cohorts with Israel, because of its superior military might, being depicted as Goliath and the terrorists as David.
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A Letter from a Refugee from Northern Israel
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We should not underestimate the suffering of our own people. Last week, I received a letter from my good friend and former congregant of South Head, Binyomin (Graham) Alexander, who with his wife Devorah and some fifteen thousand other residents, was forced to flee from Safed
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Use Your Head
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by Rabbi Benzion Milecki
Shabbat Matos Masei
It is impossible to see the pictures of carnage and loss of innocent life, including that of young children in Lebanon, and not feel sick to the pit of your stomach. The images speak straight to your heart - and you would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved. And not to feel very angry with the perpetrators.
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Tisha B'Av
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As you are no doubt aware tonight is Tisha B'Av. By now you would have received my previous email describing tonight's programme which will include prayers for the soldiers and citizens of Israel. I hope that you will be able to attend.
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The Great World Cup - South Head Division - Debate
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by Rabbi Benzion Milecki
Shabbat Beha'loscha
A few days ago a congregant wrote saying that there had been a family discussion regarding the appropriateness of praying for one's national team and wondering whether I had an opinion on that.
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Solidarity Prayer Meeting July 14th
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Shabbat Pinchas
by Rabbi Benzion Milecki OAM
As I write these lines, Israel is once again under attack. What began as "small" kasam rockets which "only" terrorized the residents and a "limited" border incursion that led to the murder of two soldiers and the kidnapping of another in the South, has rapidly escalated into katyusha rockets with a range of 25 km that have caused death and destruction in the northern cities of Israel and far more lethal border incursions and kidnappings along the northern border.
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Convergence: Julia Roberts & the New Israel
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Shabbat Nasso
by Rabbi Benzion Milecki OAM
On Shavuot night I participated in a panel comprising Chemi Shalev (Associate Editor Australian Jewish News & Ha'aretz writer), Jeremy Jones AM (Director AIJAC) and David Bierman (Former Director Israel Govt Tourist Office), on the subject of "The New Israel andi its Future Borders". The following is the text of my presentation.
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World Cup: Part Two
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By Rabbi Benzion Milecki
Shabbat Shelach
Last week we looked at soccer from a Jewish perspective and concluded with a brief observation of the Lubavitcher Rebbe of what can be learnt from the game. During my Friday night sermon I elaborated further on this - of how the Rebbe viewed soccer as a metaphor for life in general. I include these remarks here.
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Musings on Jerusalem Day
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Shabbat Bamidbar - 29 Iyyar 5766
Today is Yom Yerushalayim - the anniversary of that awesome day thirty nine years ago when the entire Jerusalem came under Jewish sovereignty for the first time in almost 2,000 years.
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Are our Children Really Angels?
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In Western thought and literature children have always been synonymous with innocence. In the faces of children we see the faces of angels. While Judaism certainly does not subscribe to the notion that Man is irretrievably born in sin, it does posit that man is born with a propensity towards selfishness and self-absorption.
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A Letter of Consolation
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A while ago a congregant asked me if I could help him with an unusual request. A very close non-Jewish friend had suffered the tragedy of losing his beloved wife shortly after the birth of their second child. Although several months had passed he was inconsolable. He had been comforted by very senior members of his church, but to no avail. Our congregant asked if I could perhaps share with his friend some Jewish wisdom.
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Solidarity Prayer Tonight .. Friday July 14th 5.45pm
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As I write these lines, Israel is once again under attack. What began as "small" kasam rockets which "only" terrorized the residents and a "limited" border incursion that led to the murder of two soldiers and the kidnapping of another in the South, has rapidly escalated into katyusha rockets with a range of 25 km that have caused death and destruction in the northern cities of Israel and far more lethal border incursions and kidnappings along the northern border.
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Chukas Wedding
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We were blessed this week with two weddings of long-standing members of our congregation, Michael Friedman to his bride Kate Hendry and Rachel Harkham to her groom Baruch Kluwgant. They were both beautiful weddings and we wish the young couples, with their respective families, true Yiddishe nachas.
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Bitachon: Trust in G-d
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There is faith (emunah) and there is trust (bitachon). They are two separate things. Emunah is the belief in the omnipotence of G-d. However, it doesn’t necessarily penetrate a person's being. It is possible to believe in G-d and to do the opposite of His will, as it is written in the Zohar, "the thief prays to G-d just as he's about to steal".
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On Commemorating the Holocaust
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I have often been asked: Why is there a thirty-three day period of mourning for the students of Rabbi Akiva who died almost two thousand years ago and yet no formal religious commemoration for the Holocaust? To me it seems that the question betrays a misunderstanding of the real meaning of the current period of mourning known as Sefira...
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The Redemptive Power of Prayer
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We have just entered into the month of Nissan, which is also known as the Month of Redemption (Chodesh HaGeulah) because of its association with Pesach. And because our Rabbis have told us "In Nissan they were redeemed, and in Nissan they will be redeemed", it is also the month in which our anticipation of the Messianic Redemption is also heightened...
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Some Very Special Blessings
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As we approach the Festival of Pesach, with its emphasis on Redemption, it is worth thinking of that other Redemption that we as Jews we pray for and anticipate every day - the Redemption of Moshiach. As you are aware, we Jewish people recite blessings of thanksgiving for each and every kindness that we receive. We thank G-d for the food we eat, for the fragrances that we smell, for the scenery that we see and of course for the special gifts that G-d grants each of us individually...
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The Keys to Happiness - Part Two
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Friendship on its own is not enough. You also have to have meaning - a sense that in some way you will leave the world a better place than when you arrived, that in some manner, your life matters. That there is some unique gift that you, and only you, can give the world.
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The Keys to Happiness - Part One
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We are all different, and our differences are what make us special, but there is one thing that we all have in common - and that is the desire to lead a happy life. Indeed true happiness in this world is considered the prerequisite of all blessings - and its absence deserving of curse - so today I would like to give you the keys to happiness.
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Daylight Savings & Candle-lighting
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Everyone knows that there are many don'ts associated with Shabbat: Don't write, Don't cut paper, Don't use electricity… Fewer people are aware that there are also two very important dos.
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Children - Gifts not Possessions
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It's not difficult to understand why for us Jews children are absolutely everything.
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Welcoming Guests
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Thank you to our community!
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What you Were, You are No Longer
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With the upcoming wedding of our daughter, I have had reason to think about the meaning of a wedding.
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Four Facets of Yom Kippur
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Aspects to consider during the Ten Days of Repentance.
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Preparing for the Days of Awe
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Every year, men and women are drawn to shule on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, souls wishing to be inspired on these holiest days of the Jewish calendar.
Often, however, they come away disappointed, voicing a litany of complaints about the quality of the service. While not understating the need for the synagogue to provide an inspiring service, it must be pointed out that it takes more than this to make the High Holy Days meaningful in any real sense.
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Simchat Yom Tov Appeal
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Each year at this time I ask you to contribute to our Simchat Yom Tov fund and each year you surpass my expectations. I trust that, as always, I can count on you for the generosity and warmheartedness that has become a hallmark of our Kehilla
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The True Way to Give Tzeddokoh
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The Talmud in Tractate Brochos explains that the verse “Pada B’sholom” (Psalm 55) refers to “one who works in Torah, charity and communal prayers.” The key word here is “work,” it doesn’t say “study Torah,” but one who "works in Torah".
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Ease the Pain
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Tisha B'Av 5765:
I know that there are different views regarding the week’s events, and even different names for it - I would call it expulsion, others disengagement. As Jews do, we will continue to argue strongly and forcefully the pros and cons of our respective positions.
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What they Say
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Hamas leader speaks on the pullout from Gaza
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Stop the Incitement
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This painful time for Am Yisrael is reminiscent of the period before and after the Rabin assassination, but much worse. There was incitement then, and there is incitement now. There was delegitimatization then, and there is delegitimatization now. And the harsh words threaten to destroy the very fabric of our Holy Nation.
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An Overwhelming Majority
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An Overwhelming Majority
By Laura BenDavid. A first hand account of prayer service at the Kotel as part of disengagement activity.
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On Gaza, Spain and Tisha B'Av
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According to a law passed in the Knesset, it will be illegal for any Israeli citizen to live in Gaza as of midnight August 14th 2005. August 14th is the Tenth of Av. What is the significance of this date?
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Questions & Answers on Moshiach!
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The following is an article which was published in 1992 in Australia, the US, the UK and Argentinia (in Spanish translation.) It is a brief introduction to the subject of Moshiach. As we are now in the period of mourning known as the Three Weeks, during which we long for the coming of Moshiach, it is appropriate that we gain some understanding of the place of this belief in Judaism.
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A Tribute to the Lubavitcher Rebbe
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This week our oldest daughter Chana became engaged to Sender Kavka of Seattle Washington. On Sunday we commemorate Gimmel Tammuz, the Rebbe's eleventh Yahrzeit.
In Chana’s graduation address from Lubavitch Girls High School in Chicago in 1998, she paid tribute to the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
As South Head News goes to print this week, Chana will be celebrating her engagement party in NY. The publication of Chana’s address is our way of spiritually participating in her engagement.
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When Tourists become Spies
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The episode of the spies, which we read in this past week’s Torah portion, is one of the most enigmatic in the Torah.
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The Torah's Uncommon Sense
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In law courts around the world, confessing to a crime is considered absolute and irrefutable proof of guilt. Under most circumstances prosecutors will accept a plea of guilt to a lesser crime than go to trial in an attempt to secure a conviction on a more serious offence.
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Our Three-Pronged Mission
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We have just celebrated the Festival of Shavuot, whose central theme is the Giving of the Torah.
Referring to G-d’s voice as He gave the Ten Commandments the Torah says “Kol Gadol v’lo Yasof” – “A great sound that never ended”.
What does this mean?
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Pray for Worthy Children
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While we were in Israel last year, we visited numerous graves of great and holy people.
One of the graves that we visited, was that of Rabbi Yeshaya Horowitz, otherwise known as the Holy Shaloh, after the name of his most famous work – Shnei Luchot HaBrit, the two tablets of the covenent. The Shaloh was the first person to successfully and comprehensively combine the two parts of our Holy Torah – the Revealed Torah and the Concealed Torah.
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What the World Says About G-d
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"Blessed is the Merciful One", says the Talmud, "for He has given a triple Torah to a triple people on the third month after three days of preparation".
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Inquiry into Availability of Kosher Services in NSW
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In June 2004 the Board of Deputies published the results of its Inquiry into the Availability of Kosher Services in NSW.
I feel that anxiety concerning the state of kashrut in Sydney would be greatly alleviated if the Kashrut Authority would report on its progress in implementing the Board's 28 recommendations some of which follow below.
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An Emerging Lay Leadership?
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Approximately 400 people attended the KA meeting on May-22 where community dissatisfaction with the current structure of the KA became abundantly clear.
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Making Time Count
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We Jewish people are enjoined to count time.
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Meet the KA
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Public Meeting May 22nd
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President Kofsky Responds to KA
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Letter published in AJN May-20, 2005
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After Death - Holiness
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The parasha, Acharei Mot, which commences with the untimely deaths of Aaron's two sons, Nadav and Avihu, is usually read in conjunction with Kedoshim - literally "You shall be holy".
Although this year, being a leap year, the parashiot were read on separate Shabbatot, the juxtaposition remains. And it is one which has profound bearing on the Jewish attitude towards the vagaries of life.
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The Jew: Beyond the Natural Order
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The preparation for Pesach, more frenzied than that for all other festivals combined, finds its culmination as family and guests gather around the seder-table. Tranquility and calm replace the mad rush of the previous weeks. Seder (order) has been restored... or so we think.
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Kashrut in Sydney
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AS the rabbi of one of Sydney's largest congregations it is my duty to report that there are concerns about the Kashrut Authority (KA).
This should not be taken as meaning that the KA has acted inappropriately. What it does mean is that the KA has not enunciated its policies clearly and succinctly in a manner that both ordinary laymen and rabbis can understand. It may also mean that the KA has bitten off more than it can chew.
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Work the Dough
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While Judaism certainly does not subscribe to the notion that Man is irretrievably born in sin, it does posit that man is born with a propensity towards selfishness and self-absorption. It can be reined in. It can be transformed. But only with education, with discipline and with effort.From a Jewish perspective, the notion of angelic childhood innocence is no more than childish simplicity.
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Purim and Pesach Update
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Purim roundup and Pesach Timeline
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Because of Me the World was Created
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Maimonides tells us that the population of an entire city may exist for no other reason than to support one inspired individual's service of G-d. The farmer, the storekeeper, the street cleaner - or in the words of that age-old rhyme: the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker - are all there so that a certain Reb Yid should have the benefit of an environment supportive of his lofty pursuits. The farmer may not realize it. Neither the storekeeper, nor the street cleaner. Each may have motives of their own - "There are many thoughts in the heart of man" - but G-d's is the plan which really counts - He wants to create a conducive environment for that one truly saintly man.
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Simchat Yom Tov Pesach Appeal
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At South Head, we have maintained and developed a Simchas Yom Tov fund which distributes both food and cash to the less fortunate in our community especially prior to Yomim Tovim. There are, unfortunately, no shortage of people in our community for whom Yom Tov is a source of great anxiety because of the financial outlay that it involves. Our gifts transform this worry into joy and gladness and enable us to celebrate our own Yom Tov with a full heart in the knowledge that we are not only rejoicing ourselves but have caused others to rejoice as well.
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Why Purim is Greater than Yom Kippur
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Jewishness must begin with our home, with our Jewish friends and with the synagogue. But it must continue in our businesses, among our non-Jewish friends and in the world. The real receiving of the Torah was in the days of Mordechai and Esther. So real - that only it will be remembered when Moshiach comes.
So real - that Purim is even greater than Yom Kippur.
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A Crown of Gold & Sackcloth
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Moses descends the mountain, sees the golden calf, and smashes the holy Tablets, placed in his hands by G-d A-lmighty Himself.
After eighty days of negotiating, pleading and begging, the Israelites are given a second chance. A new set of tablets replace the first, shattered set.
But whatever happened to the broken pieces of the first Tablets? Were those holy pieces of stone, carved with G-d's own hand, swept away as just so much rubble?
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The Fiery Coin
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It was just after the Exodus that Moshe commanded the Israelites in the name of G-d to give the half shekel contribution, "the rich shall not give more, nor shall the poor give less, to atone for their souls". The Midrash records that as Moshe was puzzled by this command, G-d pulled out a fiery half-shekel coin from under His Throne of Glory and announced, "This they shall give".
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Judaism & Democracy
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It is part of the democratic tradition in all normal countries that individuals are protected against unfairness from government.
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Aristotle & Maimonides
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Both Aristotle and Maimonides were great philosophers and both believed in G-d. But as Rabbi Sholom Ber of Lubavitch points out there was a big difference between them.
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Tsunami: An Act of G-d?
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Tsunami: An Act of G-d?
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Fire and Water
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Fire and Water
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The Jewish Attitude to Christianity
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As the Christian world gears up for one of their most important holidays, it is worthwhile contemplating the Jewish attitude towards Christianity.
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Affecting those who Come After Us
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Perhaps not everyone will fast on the Tenth of Tevet, but we can certainly all use the day to rededicate ourselves to one of the only responsibilitiesthat really matters - the nature and manner of our impact on those who willcome after us.
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Nun, Gimmel, Hay, Shin.
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The dreidel has evolved from the humble clay or wood version that we many of us hand-crafted as children, to the "hi-tech" multi-media version, replete with lights and musical accompaniment, that can be now be found on shop shelves and in many homes. Move aside plasma screens, the dreidel is the way to go.
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Because of Me the World Was Created
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Because of Me the World Was Created
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A Crown of Gold and Sackcloth
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Moses descends the mountain, sees the golden calf, and smashes the holy Tablets, placed in his hands by G-d A-lmighty Himself.
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The Fiery Coin
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Although we can no longer make an actual half-shekel contribution to the Temple, we will symbolically maintain this ancient custom by giving a half-dollar to charity.
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The Most Important Rememberance of All
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Among the hallmarks of Judaism are the numerous commandments associated with Zachor Ñ Remember!
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Why Purim is Greater than Yom Kippur!
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There are three rather strange Rabbinic statements concerning Purim:
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"Enlightenment" not an Individual Concern
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Of all the mitzvot of the Torah, our Rabbis tell us that the mitzvah of Parah Adumah is the most enigmatic.
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Between Well and Good
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I decided to get away from the stress of everyday life during over the past few days and settle down instead to some easy, relaxing, holiday reading.
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Rebuke - the Elixir of Life
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Water - the simplest compound known to man - has dominated the news these past two weeks and has focused the attention of most residents of Sydney. Water, the cornerstone of life, has adopted a role quite at odds with this primary function. Its potential for destruction has been unleashed
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Dollars & Sense
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The following is a sermon which I delivered on Friday evening, Shabbat Bíhaíalotecha, this year - 5758.
I don't read the newspaper every day, but last week I did.
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A Tribute to the Lubavitcher Rebbe
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Last week, our daughter Chana graduated from Lubavitch Girls High School in Chicago.In her graduation address, Chana payed tribute to the Lubavitcher Rebbe. As the coming Shabbat, 3 Tammuz, is the Rebbe's Yahrzeit, I thought it appropriate to share her words with you - B.M.
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What the World Says About G-d
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The following is a sermon which I delivered on the first day Shavuot this year - 5758.
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Regaining Eternity
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Over the last few weeks we have witnessed a tragedy of mammoth proportions
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There’s Only One Way to Blow a Shofar
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Have you ever tried to blow a Shofar?
If you have, you would certainly have noticed that the Shofar is a one-way street.
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The Era of Empowerment
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The following sermon was delivered on first day Rosh HaShana this year (5758)
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The Most Important Peace of All
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The following sermon was delivered on Yom Kippur 5755 and is being published this year for the first time
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The Princess Within Us
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The following sermon was delivered on the Shabbos after the untimely passing of Princess Diana.
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When Nobody Can Help
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The following is a sermon which I delivered on Rosh HaShana five years ago, and first published in our synagogue magazine about four years ago.
Although the opening remarks are timely and a little dated, the overall content is timeless and remains as relevant now as when it was first written.
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My Home - My Sanctuary
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On the first day of Nissan the Sanctuary was established. And on one’s wedding day, a mini-sanctuary — a Jewish home — is established.
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Messiahs, Moons & Women
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The following is a talk which I gave in New York in Sivan 5754 to the International Convention of the Lubavitch Womens Organization.
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Questions & Answers on Moshiach!
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The following is an article which was published in 1992 in Australia, the US, the UK and Argentinia (in Spanish translation.) It is a brief introduction to the subject of Moshiach.
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At One with G-d
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We have just celebrated the festival of Lag B'Omer, which commemorates the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, commonly known by the acronym of his name - RaShBY. The Rashbi, apart from his fame as one of the most oft-quoted Talmudic sages, is the renowned author the Zohar, primary sourcebook of Kabbala.
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After Death - Holiness!
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Last week's parasha, Acharei Mot, which commences with the untimely deaths of Aaron's two sons, Nadav and Avihu, is usually read in conjunction with Kedoshim - literally "You shall be holy".
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Work the Dough
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It seems to never end.
In Arkansas, in Colorado, indeed throughout the United States, school yards are bloodied with young corpses.
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Choose Life
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What would the Seder be without that oldest of Jewish questions - the Ma Nishtana?
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The First Mitzvah of Passover
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The weeks before Pesach are a time when we are all so busy.
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The Alef Beit Gimmel of Judaism
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Everyone knows the Midrash of how the Israelites came to receive the Tablets
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The Jew: Beyond the Natural Order
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The preparation for Pesach, more frenzied than that for all other festivals combined, finds its culmination as family and guests gather around the seder-table
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Fins & Scales
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When Paul set out to found Christianity some two thousand years ago, he endeavoured to show how "modern" it was in comparison to - in his view - the tired and haggard Judaism of his forbears.
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Choosing G-d
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The parasha which contains the Ten Commandments, the only part of the Torah heard from G-d A-lmighty Himself, shares its name with Yitro (Jethro) - a gentile.
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Community Service Begins at Home
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Serving the community begins with raising our children
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Keeping Our Opinions to Ourselves
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Commentary on Supreme Court Judge
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He Shall Most Certainly Heal
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Are doctors right or wrong in deciding to turn off life-support?
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A Terrorist by any Other Name
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It is really quite sickening to hear the manner in which many international leaders have been eulogising that master of international terror, Arafat. It was Arafat who initiated airline hijackings, the massacre of school children, suicide bombings and hostage taking of innocent civilians
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Purposeful Death
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This week's parasha gives us some insight into the purposefulness of death.
You see, on the surface, our parasha is very enigmatic. It is called ìChayei Sarahî ñ the Life of Sarah and yet immediately describes her death! It's almost as if death itself is life!
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The Jew and the Gentile
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Before coming to grips with the meaning of being Jewish, it is worth comprehending the Torah's view of non-Jews.
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More than a Creation Myth
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For us Jews the Torah is not merely one of many Creation Myths - perhaps a little more sophisticated, but nevertheless on a par with the Aboriginal or ancient Babylonian or Greek Creation Myths.
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Ride the Wave
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Rabbi's 5765 Yom Tov Sermon
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Homosexuality: The Person and the Act
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Rabbi Milecki has been targeted by Jewish members of Sydneyís Gay Community for an article that he wrote on homosexuality in 2004. The article, which was based on a sermon that he gave that same year, was published in the Australian Jewish Times at the time and is still on their website
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Mileckis Meet South Head Youth in Jerusalem
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The Milecki Family recently caught up with some South Head friends at one of the premier venues in Jerusalem ~ the Pizza Hut!
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Make it Count
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During the 50 day period between the Festival of Pesach and the Festival of Shavuot, we count each day - Sefirat HaOmer.
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Messiah and the Passion
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Messiah and the Passion
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Perceptions of Truth
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I could have been famous this month. It's been a long time since journalists from three media outlets called me within the space of twenty four hours asking me for interviews. Channel 7, Associated Press, SBS.
I didn't return the calls.
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Educating the Next Generation
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Educating the Next Generation
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What Lies Within
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What Lies Within
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Small Act - Big Reward
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In a world that is plagued by anti-Semitism, there IS something that each one of us can do.
It may not be as dramatic as attending a public protest, adding one's name to a petition or writing a letter to the editor. But whereas the above, while certainly well-intentioned and often necessary, may or may not be effective, this will certainly be of benefit.
So, if it is so simple, and so effective, why isn't it more generally practiced?
Because it is an unfortunate quirk of human nature that we find it easier to protest outer evil than to nurture inner good.
What is it that we can do?
Chassidim of old would say:
*Love a fellow-Jew and G-d will love you;
*Do a kindness for a fellow-Jew and G-d will do a kindness for you;
*Draw close a fellow-Jew and G-d will draw you close.
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Silent Condemnation
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RabbiBenzion Milecki
Recently I wrote of the need for moderate Islamic imams, educators and journalists to condemn terrorism and Islamic extremism in the strongest terms to their own constituents. I further wrote that their failure to do so could only be interpreted as giving tacit support to the extremists.
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Simchas Yom Tov - Maot Chitim
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There are families in our community who without our assistance will not be able to enjoy Yom Tov in the way many of us take for granted in these affluent times. People for whom the purchase of sufficient meat, fish, wine, clothes and shoes for the children is an unaffordable luxury even at Yom Tov time.
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Sell Your Chametz Here
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If you haven't already you can still sell your chametz through South Head Shule. Contact the office on 9371 7300 or click here
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The Place of a Jewish Woman
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There can be little doubt that emphasising to a girl, as she stands on the threshold of womanhood, the importance that we place upon her contribution as a Jewish Woman is of fundamental importance in the twenty-first century. In fact, it was fundamentally important in the twentieth century as well.
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Pruning Thorns
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Our hearts go out to the victims and families of the Bali massacre. Never in our history has there been such wanton murder of young innocent Australian life. The events in Bali have brought home to Australians the true nature of the terror that we are now facing.
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Milchemet Mitzvah - a War of Mitzvah.
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This week there were three statements from the top echelon of the US Administration - Secretary of State, Secretary of Defence and the Vice President - regarding imminent and unstoppable terrorist attacks on American soil. In the wake of these statements, I have been anxiously awaiting the announcement that as these attacks are inevitable, and no military solution exists to prevent them, there is no alternative other than to immediately commence negotiations with the elected leader of the terrorists - Osama bin Laden. After all, it is for them, not us, to choose who will lead them.
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A Crisis of Faith
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Reading the Australian Jewish News last week, I almost experienced a crisis of faith.
Just last Shabbos I spoke of the inviolability of the Jewish soul – that every Jew, no matter what his or her external commitment to Judaism, possesses an indestructible spark of Jewishness. This is a major principle of Chassidism as taught by the founder of the movement, the Baal Shem Tov. It has been this principle that has motivated me throughout my years of community work.
How do I reconcile this belief with the disloyalty of some Jews who, when our brothers and sisters in Israel are bled to death on an almost daily basis, choose to join forces with our enemies?
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Arab Mullahs Spew Hatred
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Check here for the contents of a sermon spoken last Friday (Erev Succos) and broadcast by PA TV and Radio.
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South Head Mission
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In his weekly email Rabbi Milecki last week wrote, "There are no words to describe the anguish that we all feel for our brothers and sisters in Israel. Our enemies target civilians, with special emphasis on the young and defenceless."
Rabbi Milecki then proposed a significant way that the South Head community can join in worldwide efforts to show solidarity with our Israeli Family. Read on to see how you can join the Mission.
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A Miracle of Transformation
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Our Arab “cousins” who had been urging President Bush to deliver his long-awaited speech got far more than they bargained for last week.
Sure, the President said he supports a Palestinian State. That’s not new. It has been both American and Israeli policy for some time.
What is new is his totally straight-forward demand that Arafat and his authority be removed and a democratically-elected, fully-accountable, new authority be established in its place. Only then, said the President, can a “probationary” Palestinian state be established.
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What it Means to be in Need
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By Rabbi Benzion Milecki
On Thursday 25-July, I heard Daniel Yoffe, the Executive Director of Tzeddakah, the organization which oversees communal relief work in Argentina. Daniel, an extraordinarily articulate communicator, has been in Australia describing the plight of Argentinian Jewry.
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Protecting One's Own
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By Rabbi Benzion Milecki
George W. Bush is furious. "I am as angry as Israel," the President says. At least four Americans were killed in the Hebrew University bombing this week.
I can hear the snickering of the cynics. Why he is more furious this week than on previous occasions? Isn't every human life precious?
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Shabbat Shuvah
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The Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called Shabbat Shuvah, Shabbat of Return because its special haftarahreading begins with the words Shuvah Yisrael "Return O Israel", from the prophecy of Hoshea. It is also referred to as Shabbat Shuvah because it falls during the Ten Days of Repentance.
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Modesty - the Best Policy
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As you know, the Rebbetzin and I spent a couple of days in Bangkok on our way to Israel. Of all the places that we visited there, the Kings’ Palace was truly a marvel to behold. But what really impressed us was the sign at its entrance, emphasising modest dress. Now Thailand is the most idolatrous country I have ever encountered – and yet the laws of modesty are strictly observed and enforced. This of course speaks volumes to us, for to paraphrase the Talmud, “If this is the way for those who transgress Your Will, how much more so for those who observe Your Will!”
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Tephilin Instruction
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With the assistance of South Head chorister Bobby Teicher, a prize-winning amateur film-maker, Rabbi Milecki is currently making an instructional video on Tephilin. The purpose of the video is to teach people how to put on tephilin and to encourage them to do so. The draft version of the introduction is currently available on the web by clicking here
The introduction is approximately four minutes in length and 2.5 megabytes.
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When Mighty Ones Fall
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An article by Rabbi Benzion Milecki
Another terrible tragedy has befallen us - one which rips a hole at the very core of our being. A Minister of Israel has fallen.
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Daylight Savings and Candle-Lighting
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Everyone knows that there are many dont's associated with Shabbat: Don’t write,
Don’t cut paper, Don’t use electricity… Fewer people are
aware that there are also two very important dos.
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Are Your Tephilin Kosher?
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The mitzvah of Tephilin is one of the most important in the Torah.
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Hakhel - Gather Together!
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By Rabbi Benzion Milecki
With the situation for the world, and specifically Israel and the Jewish People, becoming increasingly uncertain, it behoves us to pay special attention to the message of unity implied by the festival of Succot.
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Simchas Torah Terror Victims Appeal
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Last year we at South Head initiated an appeal for the victims of the lynching in Rammallah and raised the sum of $30,000 at our Simchas Torah auction. This year the UIA followed in our footsteps and asked the community as a whole to donate towards victims of terror.
We at South Head once again held an auction on Simchas Torah where verses of the Torah were on "sale". Participation in this very important cause was at a very high level
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Looking Not Seeing
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Just after the signing of the Oslo agreement in 1993, Rabbi Milecki delivered a Rosh Hashanah sermon which spoke to the human foible of looking through closed eyes and the Jewish People's legacy of a vision for mankind. Following is the transcript of that sermon.
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THE MEANING OF LIFE
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Ask not 'WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE?' .. rather ask 'WHAT MEANING CAN I GIVE THE LIFE I HAVE BEEN GIVEN?'
The essence of Rabbi Milecki's Yom Kippur sermons was to ask each and every individual to understand that for every good deed we do, the world is illuminated.
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Cloning and Stem Cell Research
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Rabbi Milecki's looked at the Jewish Perspective of this controversial development in human science technology
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In a Word ...
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Did anyone notice? When President Bush concluded his inspired tribute after the loss of the space shuttle, he didn't say "May G-d bless America". He said "May G-d continue to bless America". The President did the same thing in his State of the Union address. After speaking of the need to go to war, and invoking G-d's protection, he concluded "May G-d continue to bless America".
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Transformation
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We have just celebrated Purim - a festival which commemorates a time when the lives of every Jewish male female and child in the entire known world was under threat of extinction.
The decree of annihilation was transformed into a miracle of unprecedented proportions - celebrated as the happiest festival in the entire Jewish calendar.
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Free to Speak
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Freedom of Speech is at the very heart of democracy. It enables the free exchange of ideas. It prevents any one individual or group - even the majority - from limiting the strivings and aspirations of other individuals or groups. It can be safely said that without Freedom of Speech, we would not have won the many hard-fought-for freedoms that we take for granted today. As a wise man once said - the definition of a free society is one in which we are safe to voice unpopular opinions.
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Fire and Power
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The greater the power for good, the greater the power for evil. Or in a well known quote from Koheles - Es zeh l'umas zeh oso Elokim. "This - the power of good - parallels this - the power of evil: such has Hashem made the world." Or in the words of our Rabbis - one who is greater than his friend - his evil inclination, his power for evil, is also greater.
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The Chosen One
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If anything brought home the ugly nature of contemporary Muslim anti-Semitism it was last year's murder of Wall Street journalist David Pearl. Although non-practising, he was forced to acknowledge his Jewishness before his throat was slit. You see, for anti-Semites, the level of one's observance, or even one's commitment to Judaism, is never an issue. It is the fact that you are born Jewish.
Although written a year ago, I commend the following article. Hopefully it will dispel any remaining doubts.
Rabbi Benzion Milecki
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Tree of the Field
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by Rabbi Benzion Milecki
In Parashat Shoftim the Torah tells us that "Man is like the Tree of the Field" and on this basis our holy rabbis have expounded upon the many similarities that exist in both Tree and Man.
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Happy Birthday
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A few lines concerning the significance of a Jewish birthday and its customs. Refer to them when your birthday comes along.
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Fear Not ... Take Heart
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Looking around the world of late, it is easy to become overwhelmed with a sense of darkness and insecurity.
However we Jews have a distinct advantage over others - we have been there and done that - and yet we are still here.
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Only a Matter of Time
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Some Australians have been blaming Australia's alliance with the US for the terrible events at Bali. In turn, America's woes are blamed on its association with Israel. How much truth is there in this assertion?
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Dispelling Darkness
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Chanukah is a time when one can really appreciate what the World Wide Web has to offer. There are literally dozens of Chanukah sites and, just like the Chanukah candles, the list continues to grow each year. For the best selection of Chanukah sites please click here
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Empathy for Others
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It's a sad part of human nature that until you are personally hit by tragedy, you really don't understand what someone else is going through. This doesn't only apply to individuals, but to nations as well. It therefore cannot come as any great surprise, that after the recent terrorist attack in Moscow, Russian President Vladmir Putin made a powerful statement to the European Union.
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Small Act - Big Reward
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In a world that is plagued by anti-Semitism, there IS something that each one of us can do.
It may not be as dramatic as attending a public protest, adding one's name to a petition or writing a letter to the editor. But whereas the above, while certainly well-intentioned and often necessary, may or may not be effective, this will certainly be of benefit.
So, if it is so simple, and so effective, why isn't it more generally practiced?
Because it is an unfortunate quirk of human nature that we find it easier to protest outer evil than to nurture inner good.
What is it that we can do?
Chassidim of old would say:
*Love a fellow-Jew and G-d will love you;
*Do a kindness for a fellow-Jew and G-d will do a kindness for you;
*Draw close a fellow-Jew and G-d will draw you close.
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The Power of Two
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The festival period is over, we have had our spiritual shot in the arm, and now it's time to get up and run with it. We are about to commence the Torah with the reading of "Bereishit" - the history of G-d's creation of the world.
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To all our Readers
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Together with the Rebbetzen and my family, the President, Dr Sam Friedman, and the Board of Management, Chazan Niassoff, and our office staff, Baron Revelman and Helen Meyer, I wish each and every one of you, and all your families a Shnat Ora, Shnat Bracha, Shnat Geulah - a Year of Light, a Year of Blessing, a Year of Redemption - together with all our Jewish brothers and sisters, wherever they may be, but especially in our Holy Land. May this year see an end to Jewish Sorrow and a beginning to Jewish Redemption, both materially and spiritually, amid parnassah, health and nachas from our families. May you all be inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet year.
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Make it Count
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We Jewish People are enjoined to count time.
We count forty-nine days, made up of seven weeks, commencing on Pesach and concluding on the fiftieth day - Shavuot. this is called Sefirat HaOmer.
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A Matter of Opinion
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Yet another miracle occurred during the second week of June. France, Germany and Russia decided that the allies were right after all. They abolished the sanctions and gave the allies the right to govern Iraq for the foreseeable future.
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Inward Bound
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The Rebbetzin and I, together with the whole team at South Head, wish you all a meaningful Shavuot.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, when extending greetings for Shavuot, would always say that the Torah should be received "b'simcha u'vi'pnimius" = "with joy and inwardly".
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What's it all About .. Georgie?
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Amazing really.
Just two days ago President Bush chastised Israel for the attempted elimination of Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi, Hamas' top "political" man.
Today the same President and his Secretary of State call upon the world to totally isolate and eradicate Hamas.
What is it all about?
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You Never know what you Might Find
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By Rabbi Benzion Milecki
One of the more difficult tasks one has as a Rabbi is verifying the Jewish status of couples who wish to marry. Often this is met with outright hostility. At other times great discomfort. After all, the person concerned is convinced that they are Jewish, were brought up Jewish, and therefore cannot understand what all the fuss is about.
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Playing the Ball .. not the Man
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With a life-size image of me adorning the cover of this week's Jewish News, but without anything quoted in my name, many people are probably wondering whether I have a position on the issue in question or whether I have been my usual quiet self...
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Consolation, Comfort & Happiness
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The "three weeks" of mourning the destruction - traditionally called the "three of punishment" (tlasa d'paranusa) - have concluded. This week we commence reading the first of the seven haftorot of Consolation (sheva d'nechemta).
Hence the name of this Shabbat is Shabbat Nachamu - the Shabbat of Consolation - after the opening words of the haftorah "Nachamu, Nachamu Ami" - "Be Comforted, Be Comforted, My People".
Or at least that is how it is traditionally translated.
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The Shabbat before Pesach
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Shabbat HaGadol, literally the Great Shabbat, is named such because of the Great Miracle that occurred on that day - a miracle far greater than any of the plagues visited by G-d upon them ... What was this great miracle?
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Everyday Living
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During the period between Pesach and Rosh HaShana it is customary to study Pirkei Avot on Shabbat afternoons. Pirkei Avot is that part of the Mishna - our oral tradition - which every Jew can relate to.
It at one and the same time contains the deepest secrets of the Torah - and thus commences with the words "Moses received the Torah from Sinai" - as well as down-to-earth practical advice on everyday living. Indeed, as the Rebbe explained in one of his talks, the secrets and the practice are often two sides of the very same coin.
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We Stand Alone
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Did anyone hear Saddam's speech? The one blaming the Zionist influence for the war he is now facing. The one in which he intimated that he was fighting for Palestine ... And what about all those in the West who are blaming George W. Bush's Jewish advisers for the war. Or the others who blame the Jews of New York. Poor President Bush. You would be forgiven for thinking that he was totally inept without the Jews.
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Stating the Obvious
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It was soon after the Gulf War. The leaders of the so-called peace camp announced the now infamous Oslo peace accords - a euphemism for the contraction of Israel and the creation of a Palestinian State on its borders... As to the claim that this would deprive Israel of the geographical - and hence strategic - depth that it required to survive, and return it to what Abba Eban once called the Auschwitz borders, it was argued that land was no longer important in modern warfare. What was important, they argued, was the technological edge. After all the Gulf War was won largely from the air.
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The Old-New Hatred
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An article by Rabbi Benzion Milecki
This week witnessed the slaying of three "settlers" - one adult and two fourteen-year old boys. I say "settlers" advisedly because the media uses this term to dehumanize the victims of these hate crimes; to imply that they somehow deserve what they get.
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Putting Zion into Zionism
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In the Bible, the Talmud and the Midrash, Zion refers to the Temple Mount. In this article Rabbi Benzion Milecki asks whether there can be Zionism without Zion.
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Putting Zion into Zionism
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In the Bible, the Talmud and the Midrash, Zion refers to the Temple Mount. In this article Rabbi Benzion Milecki asks whether there can be Zionism without Zion.
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The American Solution
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Rabbi Benzion Milecki writes
Last Wednesday I was
overwhelmed with feelings of deep anger. For twenty years they have been trying
to pin war crimes on Arik Sharon. Last Wednesday it occurred to me that perhaps
they were right. Maybe Sharon is guilty after all.
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The Self-Defined Jew
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In this article, Rabbi Benzion Milecki discusses the angst of the post-modern Jew and what he can do to ease it:
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Rabbi Milecki - What Moves and Shakes Him?
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In this year's South Head Annual Report, Rabbi Milecki gives a very personal account of what makes him tick. For a sneak preview click here
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Special Edition Tree of Life
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As the media continues its relentless assault against Israel, a number of excellent articles by both Jewish and non-Jewish authors have been put together for this week's Tree of Life. A pdf copy can be accessed by clicking here
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Learning from the Past
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Another sermon by Rabbi Benzion Milecki on the current situation in Israel
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Temple is Destroyed Again
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Our Rabbis tell us that a generation in whose time the Temple is not rebuilt, is a generation in which the Temple is destroyed. According to a Ha’aretz report, the remenants of the Temple are indeed being destroyed before our very eyes.
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The Fast of the Tenth of Teves: Then and Now
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Tuesday Dec-25 marked the Fast of Tevet. It is impossible to be at peace in view of the calamitous situation of our brothers and sisters in Israel. Hardly a day goes by in which there is not another murder of one of our people; and all of this while the very existence of the State as we know it, is at stake. What follows is a sermon delivered by Rabbi Benzion Milecki last year giving insights on the contemporary message of this ancient fast.
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Rivers of Hot Tears
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by Rabbi Benzion Milecki
I don't recall a time that I have cried so much, and for so long, over a loss that has not directly affected me or someone very close to me.
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Hakhel - Gather Together!
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With the situation for the world, and specifically Israel and the Jewish People, becoming increasingly uncertain, it behoves us to pay special attention to the message of unity implied by the festival of Succot.
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Not a New War
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Jewish children have again been targeted and slaughtered, this time in the heart of Jerusalem. These are not children who happened to be present during a military operation.
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Rabbi Milecki
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Rabbi Milecki,
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Stating the Obvious
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Stating the Obvious - Rabbi Benzion Milecki
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Fire and Power
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Fire and Power - Rabbi Benzion Milecki
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Free to Speak
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Free to Speak - Rabbi Benzion Milecki
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Are Your Tephilin Kosher?
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Are Your Tephilin Kosher? - Rabbi Benzion Milecki
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Transformation
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Transformation - Rabbi Benzion Milecki
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Accustomed to Giving
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Accustomed to Giving - Rabbi Benzion Milecki
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The Shabbat before Pesach
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Shabbat HaGadol, literally the Great Shabbat, is named such because of the Great Miracle that occurred on that day - a miracle far greater than any of the plagues visited by G-d upon them ... What was this great miracle?
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|
|
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The Shabbat before Pesach
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Shabbat HaGadol, literally the Great Shabbat, is named such because of the Great Miracle that occurred on that day - a miracle far greater than any of the plagues visited by G-d upon them ... What was this great miracle?
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In a Word ...
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Did anyone notice? When President Bush concluded his inspired tribute after the loss of the space shuttle, he didn't say "May G-d bless America". He said "May G-d continue to bless America". The President did the same thing in his State of the Union address. After speaking of the need to go to war, and invoking G-d's protection, he concluded "May G-d continue to bless America".
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|
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|
The Chosen One
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|
If anything brought home the ugly nature of contemporary Muslim anti-Semitism it was last year's murder of Wall Street journalist David Pearl. Although non-practising, he was forced to acknowledge his Jewishness before his throat was slit. You see, for anti-Semites, the level of one's observance, or even one's commitment to Judaism, is never an issue. It is the fact that you are born Jewish.
Although written a year ago, I commend the following article. Hopefully it will dispel any remaining doubts.
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Happy Birthday
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|
A few lines concerning the significance of a Jewish birthday and its customs. Refer to them when your birthday comes along.
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|
|
|
|
Fear Not ... Take Heart
| |
|
Looking around the world of late, it is easy to become overwhelmed with a sense of darkness and insecurity.
| |
|
|
|
|
Tree of the Field
| |
|
In Parashat Shoftim the Torah tells us that "Man is like the Tree of the Field" and on this basis our holy rabbis have expounded upon the many similarities that exist in both Tree and Man.
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|
|
|
|
Only a Matter of Time
| |
|
Some Australians have been blaming Australia's alliance with the US for the terrible events at Bali. In turn, America's woes are blamed on its association with Israel. How much truth is there in this assertion?
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Pruning Thorns
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Our hearts go out to the victims and families of the Bali massacre. Never in our history has there been such wanton murder of young innocent Australian life.
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Dispelling Darkness
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|
Chanukah is a time when one can really appreciate what the World Wide Web has to offer. There are literally dozens of Chanukah sites and, just like the Chanukah candles, the list continues to grow each year.
| |
|
|
|
|
Rabbi Milecki - What Moves and Shakes Him?
| |
|
In this year's South Head Annual Report, Rabbi Milecki gives a very personal account of what makes him tick.
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|
|
|
|
Empathy for Others
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|
It's a sad part of human nature that until you are personally hit by tragedy, you really don't understand what someone else is going through. This doesn't only apply to individuals, but to nations as well.
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Everyday Living
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Everyday Living - Rabbi Benzion Milecki
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We stand alone
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Did anyone hear Saddam's speech? The one blaming the Zionist influence for the war he is now facing. The one in which he intimated that he was fighting for Palestine ... And what about all those in the West who are blaming George W. Bush's Jewish advisers for the war. Or the others who blame the Jews of New York. Poor President Bush. You would be forgiven for thinking that he was totally inept without the Jews.
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Transformation
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We have just celebrated Purim - a festival which commemorates a time when the lives of every Jewish male female and child in the entire known world was under threat of extinction. The decree of annihilation was transformed into a miracle of unprecedented proportions - celebrated as the happiest festival in the entire Jewish calendar.
| |
|
|
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We stand alone
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|
Did anyone hear Saddam's speech? The one blaming the Zionist influence for the war he is now facing. The one in which he intimated that he was fighting for Palestine ... And what about all those in the West who are blaming George W. Bush's Jewish advisers for the war. Or the others who blame the Jews of New York. Poor President Bush. You would be forgiven for thinking that he was totally inept without the Jews.
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Transformation
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We have just celebrated Purim - a festival which commemorates a time when the lives of every Jewish male female and child in the entire known world was under threat of extinction. The decree of annihilation was transformed into a miracle of unprecedented proportions - celebrated as the happiest festival in the entire Jewish calendar.
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We stand alone
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Did anyone hear Saddam's speech? The one blaming the Zionist influence for the war he is now facing. The one in which he intimated that he was fighting for Palestine ... And what about all those in the West who are blaming George W. Bush's Jewish advisers for the war. Or the others who blame the Jews of New York. Poor President Bush. You would be forgiven for thinking that he was totally inept without the Jews.
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G-d is with Me: I Shall Not Fear
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Yom Yerushalayim 5769
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An Unbelievable Experience!
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A chance meeting just before Levi's wedding
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Sermons
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Sermons
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Archive News & Information
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Archive News & Information
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